“We’ve arrived.”
The carriage came to a stop at the edge of the forest, on the plain where the stalls and spectator seats had been set up during the Inter-Class Tournament. A little over two weeks had passed since then, and the stalls and spectator seats that had been attacked by monsters remained broken and un-dismantled.
I wondered if they were planning to reuse them when the Inter-Class Tournament, which had been postponed until autumn, was held again, or if they would just be left to weather away. Considering the values and standards of this world, it would probably be the latter. This world is still oblivious to environmental issues and nature conservation.
We got out of the carriage and put on our equipment. That said, Idiot and I just carried the swords that we borrowed from Alissa-san at our waists.
We couldn’t borrow armor or equipment from the Royal Knights Order, and Alissa-san advised us, “It’s better not to wear unfamiliar equipment if it’s just going to make you move slower.”
Especially in Idiot’s case, he can defend against most attacks with just a sword. Alissa-san even told him that he might as well fight naked rather than have his movements hindered by armor. Even if he wouldn’t actually go naked, there’s no doubt that Idiot can demonstrate his true strength the more lightly equipped he is.
Ryugu and Tina were also wearing light armor. Metal breastplates and gauntlets. Other than that, they had leg armor covering their knees and shins.
“I thought Adventurers were supposed to be decked out in full armor.”
“That depends on the person. There are Adventurers like the ones you’re imagining, Hugh-san, of course. However, we prioritize agility over defense. That’s how my master was.”
“Master always used to say, ‘If they can’t hit you, it doesn’t mat— guhaaa!'”
He got hit, didn’t he…?
Putting Tina’s joke aside, Ryugu had a sword at his waist like us, and Tina had a quiver on her back and a bow in her hand.
“Let’s proceed cautiously, in case we encounter any monsters.”
We entered the forest with Ryugu in the lead. Idiot stepped forward to stand alongside Ryugu, and Tina and I followed behind them, side by side. It was a formation that separated the vanguard and rearguard.
The forest, thick with vegetation, was dim and shrouded in an eerie silence. There were no sounds of birds or insects. Could it be because of my «Ignition» Skill…?
“It’s creepy, isn’t it? Even inside a Dungeon isn’t this quiet.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. It depends on the place, but it’s usually pretty lively because monsters live there. But it’s not like that here. It’s like I can’t even sense any monsters.”
…It is too quiet, perhaps.
We continued walking for about thirty minutes, but we didn’t encounter a single monster. During the Inter-Class Tournament, we were attacked by monsters many times before we even made it through the forest, even with Lily’s «Strategist» Skill…
“I heard that the Royal Knights Order and the standing army explored this forest before us. Perhaps all the monsters that were in the forest have already been wiped out.”
“…No, isn’t that unnatural? There are too few signs of battle.”
Idiot questioned Ryugu’s speculation.
Now that he mentioned it, it did seem like the forest was too clean, considering that the Knights Order and the standing army had been exterminating monsters. Well, since I don’t have the «Ninja» Skill, there’s a higher chance that I simply overlooked it, but if Idiot says so, then it must be true.
“…I see. So that’s why the Kingdom of Reese made a request to the Adventurers Guild. If the Knights Order and the standing army, who entered the forest to investigate the abnormal monster outbreak, couldn’t identify the cause of the outbreak and didn’t even encounter any monsters, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were confused and passed the buck to the Adventurers Guild.”
“They wouldn’t usually ask the Adventurers Guild for help if nothing was wrong…”
The Royal Knights Order and the military must have their pride, so they would have wanted to identify the cause themselves. Since they couldn’t do that, the task was passed on to the Adventurers Guild.
If that’s the case, then the military… Prince Brute’s faction made this request? If it was Prince Lucas, he would have an idea why the monsters suddenly disappeared. That person wouldn’t go out of his way to take the risk of spreading information and make a request to the Adventurers Guild.
We explored the forest for another hour or so, but we didn’t encounter any monsters. Just as we were about to start talking about turning back, since we couldn’t find any clues,
“Stinky.”
Tina groaned, holding her nose. I was startled for a moment, thinking she was talking to me, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
A faint, unpleasant odor wafted to my nose from somewhere. Like cheese, or rotten garbage… A putrid smell, perhaps…?
“Let’s go check it out. There might be some clues.”
“I guess…”
I nodded at Ryugu’s suggestion. As we followed the source of the smell, it grew stronger.
Eventually, we arrived at a space where the trees were wide open. In the center was a murky, dark pond, and the surrounding plants were twisted and withered. Several bones, probably from animals, were scattered around the pond.
What an incredibly eerie space… It’s not that scary since it’s daytime, but if I had found it at dusk or at night, I would have run straight back.
“Ryugu-nii, could this be the cause of the monster outbreak?”
“I wonder… Do you two notice anything?”
Ryugu asked, and Idiot and I exchanged glances.
The cause of the monster outbreak was probably that drug that transformed Letcherie and Rosalie into monsters. However, both Idiot and I were strictly ordered by Prince Lucas not to reveal anything about the drug. We can’t tell Ryugu and Tina about the existence of the drug.
I feel bad, since we were promised a reward…
“I think this pond is suspicious, but sorry. I don’t know anything more than that.”
“I see…”
Ryugu crossed his arms and brought his fist to his mouth. It seems to be a habit he has when he’s thinking.
“All the monsters you two saw closely resembled animals that live in the forest, right? If that’s the case, then the animals that drank the water from this pond transformed into monsters…?”
“Ehh? Would animals even drink such dirty water?”
“It’s been more than two weeks since the monster outbreak. The water quality might have deteriorated.”
“But still, it’s unnatural~! The monsters that Hugh-san and the others encountered weren’t just one or two, right? I could understand if a few animals came to drink the water, but you’re saying that a lot of animals came to drink the water all at once and became monsters?”
“That’s…”
By scattering the drug in this pond, the animals living in the forest that came to drink the water transformed into monsters. If we think about it that way, it explains why monsters appeared in the forest, even though there shouldn’t be any Dungeons… However, Tina’s question is the most reasonable.
Would the animals in the forest come to drink water all at once like that? Moreover, the Inter-Class Tournament was held in this forest in the morning, so wouldn’t that mean that the animals all came to drink water at the same time as our class entered the forest in the afternoon…?
“…Hmm, so someone deliberately guided the animals to this pond.”
“Yes. That’s the only way to think about it…”
“This might have been a case where finding a Dungeon would have been better~?”
We nodded silently at Tina, who tilted her head with a wry smile.